Finally the chapter everyone has been waiting for! I hope I do it justice!

Xxxxxx

This was it. He was finally going to be able to ask her to bond with him. As soon as they came back to their world, Rose had asked him if she could spend some time with her mum. Which was perfect because then he didn't have to force the issue. He of course, told her that he didn't mind, but he was going to move the Tardis out of their living room. He slowly ushered Layla in, and Rose being so distraught with what happened in the parallel world didn't even notice that her friend hadn't stayed to spend time with Jackie and her.

He immediately put the Tardis in the vortex and was all set to take her to her surprise when he heard her yawn. He looked at her and realized how exhausted she was. He then remembered that they had been up all night and they were running all over the place. He sent her to bed and told her that when she woke, they would head out for her surprise.

Now it was time and he was giddy with excitement. He was practically bouncing on his toes and he was just waiting for Layla to come to the console room. He could feel the Tardis hum with amusement. Well, can you blame me? I finally get to ask her to bond with me.

"Doctor? Is there a reason that the Tardis would only let me dress in this? Not that I mind it, I am just not used to the colors." Layla comes walking into the console room and the Doctor's eyes widen. She was dressed in a sky-blue peasant dress that went to her knees and a brown bustier. She had on simple brown sandals and her makeup was done lightly in brown and light blue eyeshadow to match what she was wearing.

"You look beautiful." He told her without answering her question.

"I see that you still get to wear your normal clothing." She slightly pouted. He hides a grin because that was part of his plan. He knows that he never usually dresses for where they are going and she is always trying to get him to change. He plans to on their last day for when he proposes.

"Yes, well. Now that you are here. We can head off. We will be gone about a week, but I will make sure to get us back so Rose won't know we had been gone at all. This way you can also spend some time with Jackie before we travel some more."

Layla gives him a soft smile. "Thank you. I'm glad I get to spend some time with her. So, where are we going?"

"That, my Dear, is a surprise." He runs to the console and starts to pull levers, press knobs, turns wheels, and pumps…pumps. He is running around with a huge grin on his face, but he doesn't ask for help and Layla can see that he wants to do this on his own. The Tardis starts to move, and Layla is impressed because it is slightly less shaky than normal. It must have shown on her face because the Doctor shoots her a smug look. He walks over to her and reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of cloth. "Now, this needs to go over your eyes. I want to place you in the perfect spot for your first look of where we are."

"Oh? You just happen to carry blindfolds with you in your pocket, Doctor? Or is this just a special occasion?"

His lips quirked up. "You never know. There may be a situation where a blindfold is needed." He walks behind her and places the blindfold over her eyes. He leans in close to her ear and whispers. "Having one sense blocked enhances the others, you know?" He trails his fingers down her arms gently and watches as goosebumps rise along her skin. "You never know what to expect, or when to expect it."

"Well, then. It's good to know that you always have one on you."

The Doctor puts his hands on her hips gently and pushes her towards the door. Layla has full trust in him to not let her fall or run into anything and easily steps forward with no hesitation. When they get to the door, the Doctor gets in front of her and opens the door, leading her outside. He takes the lead and pulls her along by her hand, maneuvering her along and keeping her steady. He gets her where he wants her, but he leaves the blindfold on her for a moment. He wants her to take in what she senses before she sees it. "What do you sense?"

"I feel the grass tickling my feet and hear it blowing in the wind. Birds chirping and water rushing. I can smell flowers and fresh air, clean, not like my time. It's warm from the sun and there is a nice breeze from the wind. Quiet and peaceful. Where ever we are, it seems to be really nice."

The Doctor smiles and removes the blindfold and moves so he can take in her expression when she gets her first look and he isn't disappointed. Her mouth falls open and her body seems to freeze. Her eyes are wide and she has a fixed gaze on the view, forgetting to blink until her eyes force her to. "Wow…" It was spoke so softly that even with the Doctor's enhanced hearing, he barely heard it.

Layla herself was feeling a mass number of things at once. She felt that if she were to blink, then the gorgeous landscape in front of her would disappear. She was mesmerized by something she had never seen before except in movies or pictures. The wildflowers, the creak and rolling grassy hills. There was a forest of trees and further on she could see what looked like a settlement and farmland. Her curiosity was skyrocketing and she was wondering where they were and why they were here. The thought of using her phone to take a picture of the scene never even crossed her mind, she was so in the moment.

Layla turned and looked at the Doctor with bright and shining eyes. A wide, dazzling smile on her face and he gives her an affectionate on in return. "Where are we, Doctor?"

"Well, I happen to know, that one of your favorite books is based off a true species." He grabs her hand and starts to pull her towards the settlement.

"What book?"

The Doctor gives her a mischievous grin. "This species loves to travel. While they do not like dangerous adventures, they do like to meet new people and see new places. They like to try new foods, see new cultures, anything that would make them happy. They happened to, at one point, visit earth and meet a human who they got to know very well."

Layla was practically bouncing in excitement, the more he talked, the more she wanted to know what species he was talking about. "Please tell me! Pretty please!"

The Doctor gives her a pleased grin. "Oh I do like it when you beg. It was Tolkien. The species was the hobbits." Layla stopped walking. Frozen in disbelief. The Doctor was still holding her hand and was forced to stop as well. He turned to look at her and smiled at her shock.

She tilts her head and looks at him. "Are you telling me, that you brought me to a planet where the hobbits exist. Hobbits from Tolkien's books? Hobbits that apparently met and befriended Tolkien inspiring him to write said book? And that we are here for a whole week? A whole week where I get to meet and talk to hobbits? Get to know more about them and their culture?"

The Doctor snickered slightly and nodded his head. "Yep. Surprise! Oof." The Doctor hadn't expected Layla to pounce on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and hugged him tightly. He stumbled slightly from the unexpected leap, but quickly righted himself and gripped her thighs. Of course, he had to take advantage and made sure to be quite close to her bum.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You're the best!" She repeated it over and over and gives him several kisses to his cheeks. This was going to be the best trip ever. Even if something went wrong on this trip, the fact that she got to meet a hobbit would be worth it.

The Doctor squeezed where his hands were causing her hips to slightly buck and him to grunt, but he pushed on. "Alright, time to keep walking on. Let's go so you can meet some hobbits and I can fill you in on some of the details about them and how much is similar and different from Tolkien's books." He also wanted her to stop kissing him because it was taking a lot of restraint for him to not turn his head and have her kisses land on his lips 'accidentally.' Because he knew that if he did that, desire would cloud their minds and he wants to propose first before they go any further than they already have. He sets her down and grabs her hand again as they walk.

"That would be nice. How much time did the hobbits spend with Tolkien?"

"Quite a bit, actually. He learned a lot about their culture and history. He became close to one of the families, and the little boy, whose name was actually Bilbo. He became the inspiration for the story. But they gave him so much information to use for his book. Tolkien happened to be vacationing in the mountains when the hobbits spaceship had landed. Now, hobbits are similar to humans in your time, with the technological advances, but out here in the rural areas, they live simpler lives, farmers and gathers."

"Was Tolkien freaked out by the spaceship and the hobbits?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Only he can say for sure. Whether he was at first or not though, they became friends in the end. It was the hobbits first time to earth. They knew of humans though. They themselves, at one point, had human-like DNA in them. They have traveled to other planets and gathered knowledge, so while they hadn't been to earth before, they knew things about it. Anyways, Tolkien grew fond of them, especially Bilbo. However, with this being their first time to earth, they were not used to the environment, and something in earth's environment didn't mix well with their own biology. It caused them to get severely sick. Bilbo's parents were the first to pass away and the others were not any closer to recovering. They decided to head home to see if they would get better. Tolkien was heartbroken by the deaths and that even Bilbo was sick and might possibly die before he was able to get home and get help. Before they left though, Tolkien told Bilbo that he would write him in a great adventure as a way to remember the time they shared together and how happy he was to meet them."

Layla was frowning slightly in sadness at the deaths that the hobbits dealt with. "Did they ever figure out what happened and go back to earth?"

"Oh yeah. Yeah, when they got home, they were able to examine the bodies and those that were still sick and develop medicines to combat against the environmental issue with earth." He looks at her slyly. "They come back so much that people and the media are mixing up their footprints with sasquatch prints."

Layla throws her head back in laughter and wonders how many times that people boast that they have a print from a sasquatch and it is actually from an alien hobbit. "So, what are hobbits actually like? How different and similar are they like to the books?"

"Well, like I said, they do like to travel, and have safe adventures. They are pacifists, but do have archers, for hunting, but also for protection if needed. They mainly rely on what they can hunt and gather themselves. They are very kind and welcoming to outsiders unless they are rude first. And they do look like how Tolkien described them, so prepare for cuteness overload. Especially the children."

"Well, come on then!" The Doctor had to pick up the pace as Layla practically speed walks towards the settlement. Most likely to see the hobbit children, he muses.

Xxxxxx

With Layla's excited speed walking, it doesn't take long to get to the settlement. Layla hasn't stopped taking in the sights all around her. Her eyes were constantly moving around drinking in the beauty. The path that led to the pavilion was lined with beautiful flowers of all different kinds. They get to the center of town and Layla's eyes slightly widen as she takes in the hobbits for the first time. Tolkien did an excellent job of describing them, but being able to see them is so much better than reading about them.

Her smile slips though when she sees a group of hobbits, male and females, huddle together and some of the females are crying. She feels the Doctor grab her hand and pull her towards the group. "Come on, let's go see if we can help." She sends him a smile.

They get closer and the Doctor clears his throat startling them slightly. They turn and try to give the new comers friendly smiles, not wanting to offend, but they are wobbly at best. Layla and the Doctor look at them with understanding, realizing that something upsetting had happened and no offense was taken. "I'm sorry to intrude, but we happened to be visiting for the week. Wanted to come for the festival next week, but we happened to notice that something was wrong. Might we be of assistance? Oh, sorry. I'm the Doctor. This is Layla."

"Hello, Doctor and Layla. Welcome to our little town Dewsbury. My name is Hugo Whitfoot and this is my wife, Estella. I'm not sure if you could help us, but I can tell you the problem. A group of tweens went camping. The next morning five of the children were gone. That was two days ago. We have searched all over the forest for them. They know how to forage for food, but we aren't sure if they are just lost, or if it is more sinister. We have found evidence of goblins, but we have never had problems with the goblins before. However, I do know that their King was ill, and he might have passed and if someone else took over who does have a problem with us, this could be the start of an issue. The problem for us is that we are peaceful creatures. We don't have any way of going up against warriors like goblins, and we aren't sure if they even have the tweens. We don't want to go accusing them and the tweens not be there and become enemies with them."

The Doctor could feel Layla squeeze his hand as Hugo explained what happened. While she might not know how old the children are, the fact that they are children would cause her concern. It concerns him as well. Goblins have never had an issue with hobbits before. If they do now, he wonders what had changed. He doesn't even have to look at Layla to know that she wants to help them. "How about this, you continue to search the forest, since you know it best. You give us a map to the goblins and Layla and I will go and talk to them. We can see if they know anything about the tweens. If so, we'll see what the problem is and then we will get them back."

A female hobbit steps forward slightly. "Hello, my name is Shawna Goldworthy. You'll do that for us? For strangers who have done nothing for you? You'll get us our children back?"

The hope on her face and the others, both male and female, cause the Doctor and Layla to give them a soft smile. Layla squats down slightly to be eye to eye with her. She doesn't stand tall not wanting to insult her because of her height, she was one of the smaller sized females there. "Children are everything Shawna. If I had any, I would hope that if I was unable to help them, and someone else could, that they would do what they could to save them. We want to help because children are innocent and wonderful. They do not deserve to suffer." The Doctor wraps his arm around Layla's waist, pulling her close to his side and gives her a kiss to the side of her head.

Shawna looked at her with tears in her eyes and grabs her hands. "Thank you!"

"We are happy to help. Now, if we can get a map, a direction, provisions, and anything else you think we might need? Then we can head off to see if the goblins have your children." The Doctor informed them cheerfully.

"Oh! We should also have their names as well as your names, this way they know that we aren't just some random people trying to claim that we were sent to rescue them. I would think that if we had their names and yours, they would know that someone that knew them and knows that they are missing would have told us their names and which parent goes to which kid." Layla points out. She knows that a lot of predators snatch kids from schools by saying that their parents sent them to pick them up, but don't know anything about them, their names, their parents' names, or anything.

It seemed as if the sky had brightened for these hobbits. The males took the Doctor to get him the map and provisions while the females took Layla to get her the list of names and some provisions for her. Other people in the town who weren't missing children were still grateful for the help also chipped in and helped with giving items and information. It was such a close community that everyone was thankful for these strangers to bring back the missing tweens. Many of them were talking that if they were successful how they were going to have to make a dedication to them at their spring festival the following week if they stayed that long, and if not, they will still light a candle in remembrance of them.

Xxxxxx

"So, how do the hobbits just happen to have a horse that we can use to go to the goblins? They cannot even ride one safely, right?" Layla turns her head to look at him from the corner of her eye as they are trotting along at a nice pace.

"Hugo told me that they had a big friend that came by often, but on his last trip, he got sick and wasn't well enough to leave the town. They took care of him, but he never got better and unfortunately, he passed on. They didn't have the heart to get rid of his beloved horse so they kept it. Said he was well tamed and they built a pen for him to roam around in. Seemed pretty happy when they took me to him."

Layla gently pants the horse on the side of the neck. "Aww, poor horsey. Well, I'm sure it would like to get out on a trip after his owner died. How long will it take to get to the goblins?"

"With the route the males showed me, and with the speed that Everton is going, we will be there by the end of the night. So, if things are not sinister and hopefully, they aren't, we will have the tweens and be back by tomorrow night."

"Here is to hoping. I would rather this trip be totally sinister free." Layla leans back against the Doctor's chest.

He kisses the top of her head. "Me too. This is your special trip. I hope it will not be ruined."

"So, what was it you said about a festival next week?"

"Oh, that is the spring festival that the hobbits celebrate. It is supposed to be very beautiful and fun. That was one of the main reasons why I brought you here, but I brought you here early so you could learn about their culture and about them before the festival. This way you could understand things better and there not be any possible confusion."

"Thanks Doctor…" Layla lets out a big yawn before she continues. "You're the best."

"I know." He boasts smugly. He wraps his arms around her waist more snugly as he holds the reins. "Take a nap, it will be a little while before we get there and I want you alert in case there is any trouble. I'll make sure you won't fall."

"I know you won't. Thanks Doctor." It isn't long before he hears her breathing slow down and her body go limp. He sighs in happiness at having Layla in his arms, on a romantic trip, on a horseback ride. He can't wait to propose. Now he just hopes that the tweens are alright, for their sake and for Layla's.

Xxxxxx

"How much longer until we get there, Doctor?" Layla asked while squirming around a little bit.

"Shouldn't be much longer, twenty to thirty minutes or so."

"Oh okay, that's good. But I have to pee. So, can we take a break for a few? I would rather not have to go into a possible hostile situation doing the Potty Dance."

He snorts at the image and pulls on Everton's reins. The Doctor moves to get off so he can help Layla down but she swings her leg over, slides off and speed walks into the forest before the Doctor can even blink. He decides to follow her example though and hops down and waits for her to come back so she can watch Everton.

After a few minutes she comes back with a relieved smile. "Ah, I feel so much better. Thank you for stopping. Are you ready to leave or do you need to use a tree too?"

"Yeah, I figured you had the right idea. Just didn't want to leave Everton by himself." He hands her the rein and makes for the forest.

It isn't long before he is back and they are traveling again when it starts to sprinkle. They look up and see that the sky is starting to darken more. "Looks like it is going to start to rain harder. We should probably pick up the pace so we can get there before we look like drowned rats. Hopefully things will be peaceful and we can get shelter. I'm not sure what the males gave you, but the females mainly gave me blankets, first aid, and food." Layla said.

The Doctor agrees and makes Everton go faster. "We should be coming up onto the goblins territory soon so be on the lookout. Hugo said their town was called Bogrol. The King's name is Driex. Ah, wait. I think I can see the gate right there."

"Halt! Come no further!" The guards instantly drew their bows and spears, aiming them towards the Doctor and Layla. The Doctor pulled the reins quickly not wanting to test the goblins restraint.

"Hello. We come in peace. We just seek shelter and information." The Doctor says soothingly.

One of the guards scoffed. "Like we will fall for that trick again. Search them. Get off the horse. Slowly. Do not make any sudden movements."

Layla and the Doctor were not unaccustomed to being ordered like this actually. This seems to happen a lot on their adventures. Layla swung her leg over slowly and slid down. None of the goblins touched her, went near her, or leered at her, which was surprising. Usually when they end up in this position, Rose and I are always having to deal with perverts. These goblins are being very respectful even if they seem to believe that we harbor ill intent.

The Doctor gets down next and he stands next to her, but not too close to where it would look suspicious. The goblins check the bags on Everton and one of them pats the Doctor down. At one point, one of the guards had left them and come back with another goblin, this one was clearly a female.

"Hello miss. I am the one that has to search you for weapons." Layla raises her brow at the courtesy the goblins are showing her and nods her head. The Doctor is also surprised but is pleased that they don't have to deal with a pervert on her special trip. Neither the Doctor nor Layla were worried about anything because neither she nor the Doctor ever carry weapons.

The female goblin quickly checks her and tells the guard that she is clean before leaving. The head guard were looking at them somewhat suspiciously. He was going to question them more, but the rain started to pick up. He turns to the guard at his side. "Take their horse to the stable and see to its care." He turns back to Layla and the Doctor. "You two will follow me. We will talk indoors where we will be dry from the rain."

"Thank you." Layla gives him a smile.

She elbows the Doctor when she sees that he is just looking around, plain curiosity on his face and laughs at his 'oof'. "Oh, right, sorry. Yes, thank you."

Xxxxxx

The guard takes them to a simple building that seems to be more of an office than anything. He gets out two chairs and has them sit down. "Now, what do you two want with our village? You don't carry weapons. Is this another plan where you let in your crew in the night and attack us again?"

The Doctor and Layla's face twist in confusion. The Doctor raises his hand slightly. "I'm sorry? What are you talking about? We never attacked you? We have just arrived on this planet today and were asked to look for some missing children."

Now it was the guards turn to be confused. "Wait, you're not coran's?"

The confusion on the Doctor's face cleared up. "Ah, you were attacked by a group of coran's? I understand, and no, we are not coran's. See." The Doctor gives the goblin a goofy smile and stands and pulls up his shirt to show his bellybutton. He motions to Layla to do the same but then remembers that she is wearing a dress. He goes to ask the guard to bring in the female again but the guard waves it off. Layla's brows skyrocket and looks at the Doctor with wide eyes. Bellybuttons? Seriously? That is the only difference between us and these coran's and what proves that we didn't attack them? Bellybuttons?

"No, it is okay. I will take yours as enough proof. I must apologize for the reception you received. I would like to introduce myself as well. My name is Trobur." He gets out another chair and sits down, sighing heavily. "We were attacked last week after sheltering a few coran's. We have not always had the best relationship with them, but we try not to hate a whole race just because there are some we don't like. They attacked us in the night. They were dealt with and with the rain and you arriving, we thought it was another trick."

Layla shrugs, she may not know what they are but assumed they looked like humans except that they didn't have bellybuttons, which still baffles her. Are they hatched from an egg like a platypus? "It's okay. We understand, Trobur. I don't blame you for thinking that way. Besides, it is better to be safe and cautious than sorry and injured or dead."

"Thank you for being so understanding. Now you said something about missing children, would this happen to be about the hobbit tweens?"

Layla stiffened and her eyes narrowed slightly. "You happen to have information about where they are? They have been missing for two days now and their parents are worried sick."

Trobur winced slightly and stood. "I think you should talk to the king. Maybe we can get this cleared up."

The Doctor grabbed Layla's hand and squeezed it gently in hopes of keeping her calm. He didn't want her to jump the gun and start accusing the goblins in her worry for the tweens. "Sounds good. Please lead the way."

Trobur takes them back outside and they have to run through the rain quickly to the biggest building in the village. They get inside and are handed towels to dry off. They get as much water off as they can and then they are led into the room where they are to meet the King.

It isn't long before he comes in and the Doctor raises his brow and bows slightly. "King Driex…?"

The King gets a sad look on his face. "No, my dad passed away two weeks ago. I am his son, Rassier."

"My condolences for your loss." The Doctor had thought that this King looked too young to be King Driex.

"Thank you. Now I am told you are here about the tweens?" Layla stays quiet not wanting to say the wrong thing and come off as accusing but nods. The King nods and turns to Trobur. "Tell Jaq to bring the tweens here, including the fifth one."

Layla's eyes narrow. Including the fifth one? Is something wrong with one of them? "Excuse me, King Rassier? Could you please tell me how they ended up in your care? It's just that they went camping in the east and you live in the west."

"Of course, ma'am. On the last few hunts for meat our hunters had noticed a decline in mature game. They didn't want to over-hunt, so I told them to venture further out until the population increased. My men were coming back from the east, and were almost back to the village when they came upon the tweens almost two days ago. They were tired, dirty, and slightly hungry. They had been doing pretty well for themselves. We know hobbits are hunter/gathers themselves so they managed well enough for their age. They just seemed to have gotten turned around in the forest and went towards us instead of their own homes."

The door opens and Layla has to hold back a squeal as four of the cutest creatures she has ever seen walk through the door as they laugh and talk with each other. Looking around she sees the fifth one bundled up and being carried gently looking pale and tired, but seemingly okay. She is practically bouncing on her toes wanting to go and talk to them. The Doctor sees this and smiles fondly. "Go and talk to them, love. Don't forget to mention their names and their parents. I'm going to talk to the King some more."

Layla doesn't stay long enough to answer, she just power walks over to the tweens and starts chatting away and the Doctor watches her for a few seconds. She will be a great mother one day; she was born to be one. He turns back to the King. "If you have had them almost two days, why have you not sent them back home, or sent word to their parents that you had them?" The Doctor wondered.

The King's face turned a little sheepish at this. "Well, I am still new at this whole King thing. My advisor is on a trip to let our more important allies know about my father's death. Had he been here, he probably would have told me to, but I didn't even think about it. My people also didn't say anything to me about it because they thought that I had already done something about it. We weren't able to send them back though. One of the tweens was injured and had just become stable enough to be moved this afternoon. We were going to take them home tomorrow actually. I feel really bad though about the worry I have inadvertently cause their parents. I will send along a representative, Arnak, when you take the tweens home to express my apologizes and to foster a friendship with them should they accept that."

"I'm sure everything will be fine. They are just worried, but they are friendly. They found evidence that goblins were around the area, but didn't want to accuse you of anything. They were fearful of coming in case it was more sinister because they knew your dad was sick. So, this attempt at fostering a friendship might be a good thing for the future."

"That's wonderful. Now, I would like to offer you and your wife a room for the night and tomorrow you can head out with my representative and the tweens. We will of course give you provisions. I will have a maid come by to escort you to the bath houses so you can freshen up and they will bring you dinner. I would offer you a longer visit, but I am sure the parents of the tweens are anxious enough for their children, I don't want to delay that even more. Now, I must be off, there are some things I must do before I retire for the evening. Have a good night."

"Yes, have a good night." The King leaves and the Doctor turns back to Layla and watches her as she plays with the tweens. He is glad that this turned out to be a misunderstanding and not what they usually have to deal with. No death, no hard decisions, no pain, no suffering. Layla is wearing that smile that he loves on her face, the one he always wants her to have. The one he will always strive to make sure it never fades. He sits down on a nearby chair, stretches out his legs, lays his hands over his stomach and relaxes as he watches her run around, playing. He replays what the King said to him. You and your wife. One day hopefully. I guess I will find out at the festival if she will accept that title when it is tied to me.

Xxxxxx

"Ready to go home, kiddos? See mum and dad?" Layla asked the tweens with a smile.

All she gets back are groans and mumbles that sound more like a hoard of zombies than a group of tired children. "Too early." Taryn said as she yawned.

"I know you're tired, Sweetheart, but we have a long day ahead of us. Besides, you're going to be riding in the cart, so you can take a nap when we get going." Layla told her softly as she rubs her back.

"Are you going to ride with us, Layla?" Amand, the youngest of the group, asked her.

"I can. When you want to nap, I can ride with the Doctor so you can stretch out. I can also teach you some games that we can play as we travel to pass the time. Sound fun?" He gives her a big toothy grin and grabs her hand.

"Do you think we will be in a lot of trouble when we get home?" Mirabella chewed on her lip in worry.

Layla pursed her lips. "I think, that if I were your parents, that I would be more relieved that you were home and safe. While what you did was unsafe, you are still children and are still growing and you will make mistakes. I think that this would be a good learning experience for you. Though, they might give you more lessons on navigation." While Layla had been getting to know the children, she had found out the reason that the children had gotten lost in the first place. Some of the other children had dared the five of them to jump in the lake that was about a ten-minute walk from where they were staying that night. However, they got turned around and it snowballed from there and instead of staying still, and waiting for their parents to come find them, they tried save themselves.

"That muffin good, Remi?" Layla chuckles as she asks. All Remi can do though is nod because his cheeks are stuffed full like chipmunk cheeks. She goes over to Gerold. "How are you feeling, Darling? Better?" Gerold had fallen and gotten a good-sized gash on his leg when they were lost and it had become infected. They couldn't return him right away because he had developed a fever and they were working on getting that lowered and the infection treated.

"Yeah. Still sore and tired, but better than before. I'll probably fall asleep on the way back though. Not much energy right now."

"That's alright. Sleep is how the body heals. So, sleep as much as you need, I'll wake you for lunch so you can get the nutrients."

The Doctor walks over to Layla and the tweens and smiles as she hands him a muffin. "Well, the wagon is loaded up and Everton is ready to go. Everyone here ready?" They give him almost the same zombie moan they gave Layla and he laughs. He wraps his arm around Layla as they follow behind the tweens.

"The kids want me to sit with them for a bit. Told them I would teach them some games they could play while we travel. It probably won't be long and then they will want to nap though, long rides tend to wear kids out."

The Doctor pouts slightly that he doesn't get to hold Layla for the whole day like yesterday. "That's fine, you can join me when they need to nap and then you can nap too if you want."

"Hmm. I might. I might talk to the representative for a little bit and learn more about the goblins culture. We have all day. No need to decide now." She grabs the Doctor's tie and pulls him down slightly and gives him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't be lonely without me." She smirks and gets in the wagon with the kids and starts to explain the first game they will play when they get going. The Doctor looks at her with a broad smile. I can't wait for the festival.

Xxxxxx

When they were within a few hours of the hobbit village, and it was starting to head towards the evening, the Doctor and Layla had decided that one of them needed to go ahead of their group and let the hobbits know of their imminent arrival. The Doctor didn't want Layla riding off by herself on a planet she was unfamiliar with, and he didn't really want to be stuck with the domestics of the hobbit tweens, no matter how cute they were. They figured that if the Doctor went ahead of the group, he could get the tweens parents ready for their arrival. This way they didn't arrive and have to worry about the commotion they might cause without the warning beforehand.

The tweens were happy and playing around all day but the closer they were to being home, the more anxious they became. They were very worried about the reaction from their parents. Being children, they had been able to put that worry to the back of their minds for a bit and have fun during the last two days, but with coming home, it was brought right to the front of their minds.

"It will be okay, loves. Your parents will be so relieved that you're home. They are so worried about you. I bet that they would even be proud of how well you utilized the skills they taught you to survive on your own. One day, you will look back on this and laugh. I promise you. It will be a great story you can tell your future children. So, are you all excited about the spring festival? The Doctor says it is supposed to be beautiful. It will be my first time attending. Tell me more about it?" Layla's attempt at distracting them works and the kids practically talk over one another to tell her everything they know about the festival, what they like to do and what they like best about it. It makes the last few hours of the trip pass by quickly and there is no anxiety to be seen in the kids at all.

So, when the wagon stops moving, the kids look around in confusion before they register their surroundings of where they are. Layla doesn't want them to get anxious again but there isn't much she can do that she hasn't already done. She watches as Arnak comes around and gathers Gerold for him to carry while everyone else starts to gather their items. "Now, I know you're worried, but let's put on a happy grin on your faces for your parents and you can tell them all about your adventure when you see them. Shall we go?"

It wasn't a far walk to the pavilion, but the kids keep themselves entertained. Amand wanted to hold her hand and sing softly, which she had no problem with. Mirabella and Taryn were skipping circles around the group and picking up flowers every once in a while. Remi was looking for snails and occasionally taking rocks that he thought were cool to Gerold. Gerold was just chattering Arnak's ear off who listened with an indulgent smile.

They aren't really paying attention when they get to the pavilion and see how quiet it is while they continue to make all kinds of noise. Layla watches on with a gentle smile as the tween's parents seem frozen. Layla can also see that practically the whole town is behind the parents all waiting in anticipation for the reuniting of the families. Layla clears her throat gaining the kids attention and tilts her head towards their parents. They look over and their eyes widen. All at once, both, parents and kids with the exception of Gerold, race towards each other and collide with each other in groups of hugs. Arnak quickly made his way towards the parents who had their eyes glue to the child in his arms and hands the tween over to them gently and gets a grateful smile in return. The citizens all clap and cheer in happiness that the tweens are home safe and sound. Layla's eyes tear up. She feels herself being pulled into a hug and she is surrounded by the scent of the Doctor.

"Did you explain everything? What happened?" Layla asked him quietly.

"Most of it, left some of it out for the kids to be able to explain. That way they can tell everyone of their adventure. I did explain about the new King and the misunderstanding though and the representative coming to try to fix the blunder. Didn't want there to be tension when this was supposed to be a happy reuniting. I also made them aware of Gerold's accident so they didn't think the goblins did it."

"Very efficient, Doctor. A man of many talents." Layla turns and watches the town celebrate and watches how the kids are practically covered in lipstick and their faces are red from being squeezed with hugs. She has to chuckle because she knew that their parents would be more relieved than angry.

"Come, let's let them celebrate. It's been a long day and we can go relax at home until tomorrow. Then you can learn more about the hobbits. Spend the next couple of days learning about them before the festival. Sound good?"

Giving a warm smile towards the hobbits, she looks up at the Doctor and grins. "Yeah, I think this is a family thing for them right now. Movie?" She caught that he referred to the Tardis as home, but did he mean it as their home? It sent a flutter through her heart.

Xxxxxx

The next couple of days have been a whirlwind for Layla. She has learned so much about hobbits, but at the same time, some of the things that Tolkien wrote about was true. Seems like they really did share their history with him when they visited earth the first time. It was still crazy to think that these tiny little creatures could eat so much though and stay so small. She knows that they are hard workers, but still it was bonkers. They also loved their flowers. They had so many. Different kinds from different planets that they had picked up from their travels. They had several books on the different species and how to care for them and what they meant. Apparently, it was a big deal for them when it came to their spring festival. They grew so many and decorated the entire town with flowers and it was a community contribution. Everyone took part in caring for the flowers.

Layla and the Doctor had even been able to help with setting up for the festival. While the hobbits are a friendly species, with the Doctor and Layla helping to bring home the missing children without expecting anything in return, they were considered honored guests. The Doctor had explained how Layla was a fan of Tolkien's books and the hobbits took her around the past few days explaining all they could about their culture in appreciation. A smile was always on her face and the Doctor was enjoying that his plan to bring her here was a fantastic idea.

Today, was the day of the festival though and the Doctor was somewhat nervous. He had spent the last few days preparing with the coordinators of the festival for his proposal. He knew it was risky to propose at the festival, but he thought that his chances were good and that it would be a great place to do it. He was able to get the hobbits to talk about their own lore and their versions of soulmates. Hopefully I can use this to explain about our bond.

He looked in the mirror looking at what he was wearing with a critical eye wondering if Layla would like it. He was wearing dark green velvet breeches that went a little past his knees. He had a lighter green shirt tucked in with the sleeves rolled up on his forearms and he was wearing suspenders. He was also barefoot. I really hope she likes this. His lovely Tardis hums warning him that Layla was finishing up and he quickly runs out of his room to the console room so he can be waiting to escort her.

Xxxxxx

Layla herself is excited to be going to the festival. But she is also sad because that means that they will be going back to their normal traveling and while she misses Rose and their traveling, she has been relishing this time alone with the Doctor. She feels as if something has changed between them, but isn't sure what exactly that change is. She also feels like it is leading somewhere. She hopes it will lead to a change in their relationship status.

She was wondering what the Tardis had picked out for her to wear for the festival. She had been picking out her clothing the whole week they had been here, and it had been pretty similar to what she had imagined people in the medieval time period would wear, but more relaxed, she supposed. She goes to her closet and opens it but tilts her head in confusion at what she sees. Normally, when going on adventures, unless they are going to a specific time period, she has a few options that the Tardis gives her. If the Tardis wants her to dress from a certain time period, she still gives her a few but limited. If she wants her to wear a certain thing, that is all she puts in there. That is what she had been doing all this week. Layla doesn't mind, she knows that the Tardis has the best intentions in mind and knows what she is doing. But usually, when giving her an outfit, she gives her everything, from the clothing, to shoes, undergarments, etc. There is only one thing in the closet. A dress. No undergarments or shoes. She looks up at the ceiling and narrows her eyes. "I can see with this dress that I can't wear a bra; the style won't allow it, I have no problem with that, but I won't go without knickers. The dress is a little short for that. Knowing the luck the Doctor has, it would be contagious and I'll trip and flash everyone."

There is no response for a second and then the Tardis seems to sigh in disappointment and she pops in a pair of crotchless knickers. "Oi!" The Tardis hums in amusement before she replaces them with a lacey, but acceptable pair. Layla grumbles but then laughs good naturally. "I don't think we need to give the Doctor a hearts attack if I went without knickers, love." Layla slips on the dress and goes to her mirror. She admires the mint green color against the paleness of her skin and the way the summer style dress flows. She is glad that while the hobbits dress like old times, they don't have that prudish mindset, because if they did, they would not approve of her dress. It came to mid-thigh and was a had a deep v neck, past her breast bone. There also wasn't a back and was begin held up by the neck being tied, which also was another reason she couldn't wear a bra. She styled her hair a bit, but decided to go a little more natural on her makeup seeing that this was a spring festival. She hopes that the Doctor liked what she was wearing. Taking one last look in the mirror and giving a nod of approval she heads out to the console room to meet the Doctor.

Xxxxxx

Layla walks into the console room and stops in shock. She isn't surprised that the Doctor is working on the Tardis. The man can't sit still to save his live. But she is surprised by what he is wearing. She had never seen him wear any period era or local clothing before. Seeing him dressed in the hobbits local clothing though made her very happy. She thought that he looked really good in the clothing too, of course she thought he looked good in anything he had worn so far, even with the grandpa jammies. She sees that he hasn't noticed that she has arrived and walks up behind him quietly. She gets right up behind him. "I hope you're not getting dirty, Doctor. It would be a shame to ruin your clothing before the festival."

Her eyes widen and a 'pfft' escapes her as she tries to hold back a laugh as he shrieks and throws his screwdriver in the air and one hand covers his chest over his hearts. "Don't do that! You scared me."

"Sorry, sorry." She says, clearly not sorry. "You look nice. I'm surprised you dressed up for the festival though."

The Doctor gives her a charming smile and grips his suspenders while bouncing on his toes. "I thought tonight warranted it."

He looks her up and down and his eyes widen as he takes in what she is wearing. Layla gives him an impish grin and twirls around so he gets a full view and causing her dress to flow around. "What do you think? The Tardis picked it out."

He swallows harshly as he takes in her dress. Her bare back and the low cut of the front. Her long, lean legs, and that she obviously isn't wearing a bra and bites back a groan. "You look breathtaking, like always. Green is a good color for you."

"Yeah, I happened to notice that we do match. I'm going to say that there will be a lot of hobbits wearing green on them. Considering what it represents with the spring festival."

The Doctor grabs Layla's hand and they walk out of the Tardis towards the village. When they came back from returning the children, he had moved the Tardis closer, so it wouldn't be as far of a walk for them to town. "Yeah, rebirth, nature, fertility, growth, etc. Many cultures favor green for those reasons as well. Even in your time, with easter and the egg hunts."

"Yeah, people tend to forget about that though and just think about the hunt, candy, and partying, but I'm sure there are still people who celebrate it the way it was originally." They get closer to town and they can see that it is already full of different species. "Wow, so many people. So beautiful too." She looks up at the sky. "Looks like the perfect day for the festival, nice and clear, sunny. Not too hot or windy. Just perfect."

The Doctor tugs her along to the many booths that had been set up for the festival. It was one of the hobbits biggest lucrative festival. Many species come from all over the universe for this festival. "Come on, so much to see and do and so little time."

Xxxxxx

It is later on in the night and there is a big bonfire in the pavilion. The hobbits were taking turns telling different stories from their histories. The one currently talking was telling the crowd of the fated. Layla leaned towards the Doctor. "Are these stories true, or are they more like fables?"

"Well, I'm sure some of them are fables, but the one about the fated, is true. Hobbits do have what is called a fated mate. It is what you humans would call a soulmate. The hobbits would know when they are born if they are to have a fated match or not from a birth mark they are born with."

"So not everyone has a fated one? What does it entail to be a fated one for hobbits?"

"No, not everyone has a fated one, but they can still find love. They are more in tuned with each other, sensing each other's emotions. I'm afraid I don't know much else; they tend to keep other things to themselves. More private."

Layla nods her head in understanding. "Are they the only species that have these soulmates?"

The Doctor's heart skipped a beat. This is perfect. I'm glad she asked instead of having to bring it up myself. "There are other species that have soulmates. Time Lords do as well. We call them Promised Ones. We know them on sight. When we bond, we are able to use telepathy, sense emotions, and our lives and souls are tied together." He pauses here and looks at her intensely. "The biggest thing is that not all Promised Ones are Time Lords. They can be other species. When that happens, because of a Time Lords life span, the Time Lord can connect their life with their Promised One to extend it, so as long as the Time Lord lives, the non-Time Lord does as well when it comes to aging. They also become stronger in terms of their immune system and their senses are enhanced to that of their bonded. It is the most sacred bond on my planet and it is the most wonderful thing I have ever felt in my entire live, there is no love like it."

The whole time the Doctor had been talking Layla had been slightly hopeful, especially when he said that a Promised One could be another species. But that hope was dashed with his last sentence. "Oh, so you have a Promised One?" She tries to hide the dejected feeling but then she realizes something and her eyes cloud with tears. If their lives are tied together, and the Doctor is still here, then does that mean that he was not able to bond with his soulmate and they died? "Oh, poor Doctor, you lost your Promised One, didn't you? That's why you're still alive?"

The Doctor had thought that he was explaining things very well. He could see the hope on her face and then he could see the sadness and then tears and he became confused on where he went wrong. Then he was bewildered by her questions. His mouth dropped opened and he was at a loss of words on how to fix this. "What? What? No! That's not what I was saying at all!" He grabs her hands and gets down on his knees. He hopes that this proposal turns out good and that if it does, Hugo is taking more than one picture so he doesn't just capture the panic that is currently on his face and the distress on Layla's. "Layla, love. I'm trying to tell you, that you are my Promised One. You are my soulmate. You are the one I want to spend my lives with. My many centuries and countless adventures. I want you, always and forever. Even if it is domestic. I want it all. As long as it is with you. I know after everything I have done in my life; I don't deserve you, but I want you, more than anything. Please, will you make me the happiest male and bond with me?"

The more the Doctor talked the bigger Layla's eyes had gotten. She had gotten the gist of what he was asking. They hadn't even gone on a date, unless you count this trip as one, and he was basically asking her to marry him. It was crazy, but if felt right. It seemed like from the moment they had meet they had been dancing around each other leading up to this point. She loved him and she knew that in time that love would only grow stronger. She wouldn't want to be without him. The tears in her eyes are now there for a happier reason and they fall down her cheeks. She gives him a radiant smile and nods her head. "Yes, I would love to. More than anything." As if her answer was the magic word, fireworks go off in the sky and people all around them start clapping immediately. Layla looks around startled and realizes that everyone around them is staring at them and smiling happily and cheering. The Doctor stands and picks her up and spins her around while laughing.

He sets her down and gently cups her cheeks. "This is something I have been wanting to do for ages and had been forced to watch others do." He leans down and presses his lips to hers tenderly putting as much love into the kiss as he could.

Layla returns the kiss and weaves her hand through his hair. She tilts her head to the side and deepens the kiss. She pulls on his hair causing him to groan and her tongue darts into his mouth. His hand slides from her cheek to the back of her head and his other grips her waist tightly and pulls her towards him so there wasn't any space left between them. Her skin feels heated and her heart is beating quickly. His body is tingling, blood is rushing through his body. There is the feeling of relief that she knows and accepted his proposal and that he gets to finally kiss her. Catcalls and whistles come from the crowd and she smiles against his lips. She pulls back slightly. "Maybe we should stop before they get a show?"

He groans softly and gives her one last kiss and pulls back. "I love you."

She smiles at him affectionately. "I love you too." It was the first time he had heard her say it and his hearts sped up and he felt lightheaded. He gave her a kiss on her forehead and hugged her tightly and felt his eyes tear up in happiness.

Xxxxxx

It was late in the night when the Doctor and Layla had gone back to the Tardis after the festival. The Doctor had a big cheesy grin on his face from the happiness in his hearts and Layla was dancing around him and using his hand to spin her. "That was so much fun, Doctor. Thank you for bringing me here. Oh! My key! Does the writing mean Promised One?"

The Doctor gives her a smirk. "Nope. Good guess though. You only have one left love, then I can cash in on my prize."

Layla pouts at being wrong, but she isn't upset. She gets the feeling that a prize for the Doctor would also be a prize for her. "Your win isn't guaranteed Doctor! Anyways, I know it is late, but I'm not tired at all. Want to watch a movie to wind down?" Layla gives him an innocent smile, but inwardly she is making plans. She isn't sure if the Doctor will take their relationship to the next step, but she is definitely willing to try.

The Doctor had, indeed, thought about going that next step, but didn't want to press his luck. He was already so happy that she agreed to his proposal and he didn't want to ruin the night by coming on too strong the first night they get together. Even if he would love nothing more than to be with her intimately. "Sounds like a plan, love. I'm not tired, of course, but I'm surprised you're not worn out from the long day and all the dancing you have been doing." He had enjoyed watching her dance around all night, her dress swaying around, and a radiant smile.

The Doctor starts to lead them to movie room when Layla had tugged him to a stop. She fans herself slightly. "I want to jump into the shower first. I smell like campfire and sweat. My feet are filthy too since we went barefoot."

The Doctor purses his lips slightly and looks down at himself and realizes that he also has the same issues and figures that his chances of getting Layla to cuddle up with him would be higher if he was clean. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea. I'll meet you in the movie room then when you're done with your washing." He heads off towards his room and is trying very hard to not think about the fact that both he and Layla will be showering at the same time, just not together. Too bad I'm not joining her. I would have hinted at it, but didn't want to push my luck tonight.

Layla watches him walk off and bites her lip to prevent herself from asking if he wants to join her. She doesn't want a quicky in the shower though, she wants a drawn-out night of pleasure. Going to her room, she quickly strips and jumps in the shower. She wasn't lying when she said she needed one. She was sweaty everywhere, and she means everywhere, even her arse crack was sweating. Sweating during sex was one thing, but she didn't want to reek of body odor, as normal as it is to have it when sweating. She can also make sure she is freshly shaved and not stubbly. "Hmm, Tardis, love, should I go casual with a tank top and sleep pants or shorts? Or should I go more enticing? And no, I am not going to go in naked. Don't even suggest that. I want to tease and play with him tonight, not skip the foreplay." She feels the Tardis in amusement and Layla laughs with her.

Getting out of the shower, she wraps a towel around her body and uses a smaller one and starts to dry her hair. She didn't plan to wear any makeup. She figured with them marrying, or bonding, that he might as well get used to her natural face at night. Plus, sleeping in makeup is a no-no and she doesn't plan to sleep until she passes out from exhaustion.

She goes to her closet figuring that the Tardis has her clothing picked out for her and she isn't surprised or disappointed in what she sees. She looks at the sexy black, silky and lacy babydoll nighty that the Tardis gave her and she feels a grin curl up on her lips. She hangs her towel on the bathroom hook and slides the babydoll over her head. The silky material glides across her skin and looking in the mirror, she definitely looks enticing. Hmm, maybe covering up at first would be best to surprise him later. With the Tardis in her mind, a black silky robe appears on a chair next to the mirror. "Thanks, love. Is he already in the movie room?" The Tardis hums a 'yes' and Layla breaks out with an excited grin. "Well, let's go surprise our dear Doctor, shall we?"

Getting to the movie room with the Tardis on her side doesn't take long at all. It seems as though the Tardis is just as excited about the possibility of going the next step as Layla is. She can feel the gleeful emotions from the Tardis humming around her mind. Going inside the room the Doctor has his back to her looking at the shelf of movies. He must have heard her come in, but doesn't turn to look at her. "What do you want to watch? I tried to limit it down to things are around your time period so you don't have to spend a lot of time searching through movies that you don't know what they are about."

Layla can see that he did shower, since his hair was still wet, but she is also happy that he changed into a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt. She goes up behind him and hugs him. "I would love to watch 'The Princess Bride'. I love that movie."

He searches around for a bit before the Tardis gives an amused hum and the shelf practically launches the movie at him. The Tardis was impatient. She wanted to see her Thief's reaction to what his Promised One was wearing but that wouldn't happen until they started to watch the movie and his Promised One started teasing him. She was positively enjoying watching this love story unfold.

Layla laughed and grabbed the movie before going to the player and putting it in. She turns back to the Doctor who seemed to just be staring at her and she can imagine that he is taking in the short silky robe and maybe even imagining what is under it. She walks towards the couch and sits down while grabbing a blanket. She looks at him coquettishly. "Coming?"

He starts a little, coming out of his thoughts, glad for the interruption. He is lucky she broke him from his thoughts. He could already feel that even with her having done nothing, seeing her in a silky robe, barefoot, and no makeup, had made him feel heated. His fingers twitch, wanting to untie her robe like a present and see what lays underneath. He sits next to her on the couch and puts his feet up on the ottoman. He watches as she opens the blanket and puts it over them before curling up around his chest, one arm behind his back and the other low on his stomach. His breath slightly wavers as he feels her pressed against him. He wraps his arm around her and can feel her warmth through her robe. I don't know if it was such a good idea to wear my jammies here now. With her pressed up against me, if my thoughts start to wonder, which they tend to when around her, I wouldn't be able to hide my physical reaction from her like I would in my suit. What he doesn't know is that what he is wearing is perfect for what Layla has in mind. The looseness off his pants will make it easier for her.

The lights dim and the movie starts. The Doctor is mindlessly running his hand along her shoulder as he watches the love story unfold on the screen. Layla feels like she is vibrating with anticipation. She slowly lowers her hand slightly so where it is resting on the top of his thigh, close to his hip. His leg twitches slightly, but he is otherwise relaxed. She doesn't move from that though, wanting him to think she was just adjusting.

A little further into the movie she moves her hand from his hip to his knee with a featherlight touch. At first, he doesn't seem to notice and she increases the weight of her hand and she can feel him tense. Feeling impish, she slows her movement, but directs it more towards his inner thigh. Now she knows that he is paying attention because his breathing stutters, the hand on her shoulder spasms, and she could feel that his hips started to buck but he restrained himself before completing the action. With the way that her arm is against him, she can feel him starting to harden and she runs one finger over the growing bulge to his other leg and repeating the motions from the first.

The Doctor sucks in a breath feeling Layla's finger against his hardening cock and bites his lip to keep the whimper from escaping when she goes to his other leg and pay no attention to the middle of his legs again. He isn't sure if she is just teasing him, and he may be superior to a human man, but he is only male. He can only handle so much teasing. If she keeps it up, she will see exactly what her touches do to him. He looks down at the top of her head and wonders where she is going with this. The blanket had moved and he can clearly see that his pants are starting to tent. His eyes widen and he groans when he sees her put her hand inside his pants and feels her grip his cock.

She sighs as she finally, after all of the teasing they have been doing to each other, gets to touch him intimately. She runs her fingers up his hardening length to the tip and then back to the base. She trails her fingers through his trimmed hair and cups his balls, handling them gently. With the light from the movie, she can see his cock twitching and she can feel his body tense against hers. His breathing is shallow and she can hear his hearts pounding from where her head is laying against his chest.

Layla frees him from his pants and she gazes appreciatively at the size of him. Not too large, not too small. Just perfect. She grips the base again and slides down from his chest. She gives one large lick from base to tip and swirls her tongue around the tip before sucking on it. She feels the Doctor's hand go to her hair and pulls on it causing her to moan and feel a bit feverish. She loved it when her hair was pulled.

The Doctor was feeling very warm. Layla had only just started touching him and he felt as if he was already coming undone. There was a tingling sensation rushing through his body and his hands were twitching with the need to touch her. He wanted more of her touch on him, but didn't want to rush her. But with that first touch of her tongue, his hand had a mind of its own and gripped her hair pulling. He not only heard her moan, but he felt the vibration run down his length and his body shuddered in pleasure.

Layla was using her tongue, teeth, lips, and hand on him and he was becoming a mess. He didn't want this to end too soon though and tried to slow his breathing some and tried to think of things to slow down his release. He grunts slightly as he feels her squeeze the base of his cock tightly. "Sorry, Doctor." He can tell that she is definitely not sorry. "I could tell you were worried about cumming too soon, so I figured I'd help that urge a little." She looks at him and gives him a sly grin but doesn't give him a chance to say anything before she takes his length and sucks hard on the side of it. She also scratches her nails down his thighs and he bucks his hips, whimpering in pleasure.

"Even with that, if you keep doing things like that, I won't make it much longer. I don't want this to be over so soon."

"That's alright, Grandpa. You have a time machine. We have all the time in the world for you to show me centuries worth of dance moves.

He laughs slightly but it turns into more groans and gasps as she continues to have her way with him. He can feel the tingling at the base of his spine, the pressure building at the base. "Lay…Layla. I'm about to..." He pulls on her hair slightly trying to get her attention. Words are failing him, the pleasure he is feeling is immense.

Layla didn't need him to say anything though. She already knew he was close to his release. She could feel it from the twitching length. He was starting to swell up even more as well and his breathing and vocal pattern had changed. He pulls on her hair again as his body tenses and a moan escapes her. The vibration from that though surprised the Doctor and his hips jerk up and a loud moan escapes him as spurts of his hot, sticky, cum shoots out into her mouth.

She sits up slightly and uses one hand to clean up her mouth. "Not bad, Doctor. Sweet and salty. Sweetness must be from all those bananas you eat. At least you don't taste like them."

A rough, bark of laughter escapes the Doctor. His breathing is harsh and his face is flushed. He grips her wrist tightly as she continued to stroke him into being overly sensitive. He grabs the back of her head and smashes his lips onto her and darts his tongue into her mouth. He let's go of her wrist and goes to her robe and pulls on the tie holding it together. He kisses his way down her jaw to her neck and breaths in her scent deeply. Her pheromones are high and her heart is pounding. She has a small sheen of sweat starting to form and he licks at her skin.

He mentally asks the Tardis to turn the lights onto a dim so he can see her better. He wants to be able to see her as they are intimate for the first time. He parts the robe and he groans at silky nighty she is wearing. He grabs her ankles and gently runs his hands up along her calves to her thighs and tightens his grip slightly. He skims past her hips, past her waist and breasts to her shoulders and caresses the length of her arms as he slides the robe off. Going back to her shoulders he takes the straps and slides them down.

Goosebumps rise up on Layla's skin and there is a fluttery sensation in her chest. Too slow, she thinks and then immediately wants to take it back because as soon as her chest is bared it seems as if a flip has been switched and the Doctor becomes more aggressive with his touches. His wet, hot mouth surrounded one of her nipples and her other nipple was being pinched by his fingers and uses the rest of his hand to fondle her. Breath hissing out from clenched teeth, she arches up towards him wanting more of his touches on her skin. Her hands go to his head holding him to her chest and she runs her fingers through his hair and pulls on it slightly.

The Doctor thought that having her piercings in his mouth was slightly odd at first, but it was more erotic than anything. He also thought that he had his answer from before on if they affected the sensitivity for her because when he gently tugged on them, she moaned louder. He kisses his way down her sternum until he is stopped by the nighty. His hands return to her thighs and starts to push up her nighty and shudders when he sees that she is not wearing any knickers. He has access to her more sensitive parts, but he wants her fully naked and pulls her to sit up and pulls the nighty off so she is completely bare. He pushes her back down and a tattoo on her hip catches his eye and he raises an eyebrow in question. Getting closer to the tattoo of the vampire teeth, he sucks hard on the skin and then bites down hard right where the tattoo is.

Layla cries out in that mixture of pleasure and pain and feels a shock go straight to her core. She has had that tattoo for a while and had forgotten that it was one of her more sensitive spots. Her stomach clenches as she feels him move down past her core to her thighs and giggles slightly as she feels him biting on her garter belt tattoo. He pops his head up slightly, but continues to caress her with his hands. "Sorry. I had been wanting to do that since I had first seen that tattoo. I have also wanted to do this." He leans over to her other thigh and starts to lick a trail up her rose tattoo, leaving a moist trail behind. He gets to her hip where the tattoo ends and nips her hip bone.

Layla skin was becoming more sensitive the more he touched her. She watches as he parts her thighs and puts his head close to her center. She feels his warm breath on her moist center and twitches when he kisses and sucks on her inner thigh. He gets closer to her folds and she can hear him taking a deep breath before she feels his tongue make one long wide sweep from bottom to top. She closes her eyes and tips her head back to enjoy the sensations he is bringing from her as he tongues her clit and moans as he inserts two fingers into her.

The Doctor hummed appreciatively as he flicked his tongue along her folds making sure to pay special attention to her clit. He is listening to her moans for directions and making sure to remember any areas that seem to draw the loudest moans from her. He curls his fingers and rubs on her inner walls firmly and feels her legs twitch with each passing he makes. He continues to lick and when he feels her walls start to clamp down on his fingers, he takes her clit in his mouth and sucks hard.

Layla grabs the Doctor's hair and has to force her thighs to stay open to not squeeze his head, but the force of her orgasm causes her to grind her cunt into the Doctor's face as she rides out the aftershocks. She started pushing on his head though when it seemed like he wasn't going to stop and now she was becoming overly sensitive. He gives her clit a kiss and pulls back, sitting up on his knees, and she flops back breathing hard. She looks up at him and sees that he is looking at her with a pleased smile and she trails her eyes down and sees that he is once again hard and ready for more. She hooks her legs around the back of his thighs and pulls hard causing him to topple on top of her. She grabs his head and kisses along his jaw down to his neck and biting where it meets his shoulder. She trails her hands to the bottom of his shirt and starts to lift it up and tug it over his head. She runs her hands along his chest and along his back, dragging her nails down.

The Doctor bucks his hips into her and grinds his erection against her. He uses one hand to hold himself up slightly to not put all his weight on her and the other to start to pull down his pants. Layla catches on and helps him with pushing them down onto his thighs and his cock springs free and he jerks slightly feeling it touching her wet core. Their touch is becoming more frenzied. Both have had enough of the teasing and foreplay, now they wanted more. They get the Doctor's pants down to his knees and he gives up on trying to get them all the way off and he grips his cock and lines it up with her entrance. He looks at Layla wanting to make sure that this is what she wants and with a nod, she lifts up her hips in consent and he pushes into her.

They both groan the further in he gets and Layla is squeezing her inner muscles around him to increase the pleasure. The Doctor groans throatily and tucks his head into her neck once he is fully in and holds still needing a minute to calm down. She has had him so worked up since they had meet and now that they are finally joined, he didn't want to cum too soon. Catching his breath, he pulls out almost to the tip and pushes forward, setting a pace.

Layla grips his biceps and her nails are digging into the muscle there. She lifts her hips up trying to match his pace, but grunts when he grabs her thighs and pushes them towards her chest allowing him to sink further into her heat. It also caused her to giggle breathlessly though because his hips popped. "Sexy and crunchy. Must be those old Grandpa bones."

The Doctor gives her a sharp smack on her bum and she moans at the pleasurable pain. "Well, maybe my old Grandpa body needs a break then." He pulls out of her, snickering slightly at her moan of frustration and pulls her up. He sits down and pulls her onto of his lap and lines his cock up and pushes her down onto it.

Layla doesn't mind the change in position. She slows down slightly, enjoying being able to set the pace and now she is snickering at the Doctor's moan of frustration. She is sporadic in her movements between slow and fast strokes as she rides him. Unfortunately, with the festival and all the dancing she had done, her leg muscles were a little sore and she cramps up. "Ow, hold on. I have a cramp in my groin." They both laugh and the Doctor rubs the affected area to get the cramp out but once it is gone, he flips her onto her back without leaving her and starts to thrust aggressively into her to bring her pleasure back up from the cramp.

Layla isn't one of those lucky women that can orgasm from just penetration, but since she has already had an orgasm, she is already sensitive enough to be able to cum again quickly, and she starts to rub on her clit. The Doctor would help her out with it, but he hikes up her legs over his forearms and spreads her legs a little and it gives her more room to work with. Between the fast, aggressive, pace the Doctor has set and her own fingers working over her clit, it doesn't take long before her legs start to twitch again and the Doctor can feel her muscles clamping down on him. Her teeth clench, her neck strains, and she squeezes her eyes close as she feels the tingle low in her stomach. Her heart is pounding and blood is rushing through her ears. With a few more swipes of her fingers, and a loud moan, her orgasm crashes through her and the Doctor can feel her tighten on him like a vice. His steady pace falters and while he wants to thrust and push through, his own orgasm is ripped from him and he grunts in pleasure. He collapses on top of her and their breathing is ragged.

Layla is running her hands up and down his back and they work on evening out their breathing. For the Doctor it was easier with his biology, but he doesn't want to get up. Once Layla is able to breath normally, she starts to squirm slightly. "Not that I don't mind the after-sex cuddle session, it is unrealistic to continue because I need to pee. So, shift, we can cuddle after we clean up."

The Doctor puffs out a laugh and lifts himself off her and sighs as he slips out of her warm, wet heat. He watches as his cum drips from her cunt and feels that male pride at finally being able to claim what he perceives to be his. He pulls her up and hugs her tightly. "I love you, Layla."

"I love you too, Doctor. Now please, let go. I'm starting to drip." She pinches his bum and he lets her go and laughs as she quickly shuffles out of the room, naked, to go clean up. He pulls up his pants slightly so he can walk without tripping, and trails after her and meets her in the bathroom. She hands him a warm, wet, washcloth. "Thank you." They go about cleaning themselves up and he also relieves his bladder. They go back to the movie room and Layla grabs the Doctor's shirt and slides it on. They lay back on the couch together, snuggling up next to each other, and chuckle seeing that the Tardis had paused the movie for them.

"You know, it's a good thing I get the shot birth control. We didn't even use a condom."

The Doctor turns to her slightly. "With me, if you are only using it for birth control, you won't need it. Because you are human, you won't be able to get pregnant by me yet. To do that, first we would have to do the bonding. That takes a few steps to prepare your body and mind. Part of my regeneration energy is used to tie our souls together and it enhances your senses and immune system to be like mine."

"Wait, I won't regenerate like you, right? I'll still look like this when we bond?"

"No, you won't ever change. Your age will freeze at whatever age you are at when we do bond, which I hope it won't be too long, because I want you to be protected from aging and sickness. But I will still regenerate, you get to keep your beautiful looks, but my regeneration energy will not change your biology to let you have children with me. That is where the Tardis comes into play."

"The Tardis? What does she do that allows us to have children?"

"The time vortex. I wasn't lying to Rose when I said only certain people can handle it. You being my Promised One means that you are able to take a part of the vortex into your body. It will change your biology to where you can carry Time Lord children. It is fully up to you on whether you want to do it though. I won't force you to have a child if you don't want one."

"Would that mean that the child is full Time Lord? No human in it at all? How do you feel about children? I know that they are all things domestic, and you don't care for that."

He gives her a soft smile. "With you, I would love to have any type of domestics you would want. I would love to have children with you." He winces slightly. "Just not right now, or any time soon. With the lifespan we will have, we would have a long time to have them, and I admit, it is mainly just me being selfish, but I just want you to myself for a long while before we possibly expanded our small little family."

She gives him a reassuring smile. "I have no problem with waiting. I want children, yes. But I don't want them right now. Like you said, we will have a long time together, there is no need to rush into children. I would love to be able to travel and explore the universe and know you better than I know myself."

The Doctor heaves a huge sigh of relief. "Fantastic. As for the genetics of the children, they would be mostly Time Lord. They will only have a tiny percentage of human genetics and that is mainly because it connects them to you. Other than that, they will have the same physical and mental biology that I have."

"That's fine with me. Just asking out of curiosity. I don't mind that there won't be much human in them. That means with them being Time Lords mostly, their lifespans will be longer and we don't have to worry losing them to age or sickness like a human. Besides, we will be raising them, they will be ours. Doesn't matter to me if they even carried my DNA at all, their mine regardless."

"It pleases me that you are not upset about the lack of human genetics then. Well, since it seems like you will be taking the vortex in, when that stage complete, I can give you a birth control my species use so we won't have to worry about any surprises. It isn't like human birth control. It is one hundred percent effective and there shouldn't be any side effects that you have to deal with. Can't say that for certain, since it was made for Time Lady's, but you will in essence, have a Time Lady female organ system after the vortex, so you shouldn't have any."

"Eh, living with human medicines all my life, you get used to the possibilities of side effects. As long as I don't grow another limb or a third nipple, I'm sure I could handle it."

The Doctor covers his mouth as he snickers. "No, nothing like that would happen. You're so goofy, love."

She gives him a cheesy grin. "Yeah, but you love me anyways."

He kisses her tenderly. "That I do, love. That I do. There is one thing I want you to promise me though. Until we decide on when we want to bond, and until our lifespans are joined, if something happens to me, I want you to continue on and be happy. I want you to live a long and happy life, even without me. Can you promise me that, love?"

Layla swallows harshly at the thought of something happening to him, but she can understand where he is coming from and why he is asking. She nods her head shakily. "I promise to try. But I want the same promise from you. I want you happy Doctor. You have been alone for far too long, and I don't want that to continue if something were to happen to me."

He is quiet for a moment. "…I promise." It is a lie that he does not regret telling her. He knows that she would never understand how impossible that would be for him. There would never be another after her and he hopes that he never has to find out what life would be like without her in it anymore. He gives her a soft, tender kiss to the top of her head.

They go back to watching the movie but are not able to finish watching it before they both fall asleep. The Tardis turns the movie off and lowers the lights. If she had a body, she would be prancing and dancing around gleefully. Finally.